"Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School Students Learn to Pray to Allah"

[jordandog]

  It was the way it was offered to the school admin, that it was for social studies, different cultures, etc.  They told the school that they were going to show the architectual qualities of the building of the mosque and cultural center.  Once inside, things changed.....

Whoa, slow down here for just a minute, please! This is from the Wellesley Administration's own statement and webpage. Please read it VERY carefully:

Wellesley’s superintendent of schools apologized for the prayer incident in a letter to parents Thursday.
In the letter, Superintendent Bella Wong said students required parental permission to go on the field trip, during which “a representative of the Mosque told students they were welcome to join in the prayer that was occurring.”

Now, what is in the above statement about "a representative of the Mosque told students they were welcome to join in the prayer that was occurring" is completely refuted by another parent who was there and chaperoning and also by Kaleem, the man in charge of the center where  the trip was taken. See next:

“Apparently, while we weren’t looking, the boys were asked to join in the prayer and some of them did,” said a voiceover of the parent who shot the film. “I looked at the teachers to say something, do something. No one said anything, perhaps afraid to offend.”

That characterization is inaccurate, Kaleem said.

“It’s our specific policy that we don’t invite anyone [on tours] to take part in the prayer services,” he said, adding that even if the students asked to participate they’d defer to the schools. “If students asked to pray we wouldn’t say yes; we’d refer them to their teachers and those who are responsible for them.”

Another chaperone on the trip that day affirmed that description.

“They weren’t asked to pray,” Wellesley resident Marijane Tuohy told WCVB-TV. “There were some boys who sat behind the men and kind of copied them, but it wasn’t like they had to.”

The group that got hold of this video and story, Americans for Peace and Tolerance, has gone after anyone and anything they can to continue the dissent going on righ now in light of 'The Mosque' controversy. Those are MY words and I have read a LOT about this group and I feel they are very dangerous. Here is what Kaleem had to say:
“They’re a fringe, very anti-Muslim Islamaphobic group,” Kaleem said. “The whole point about this isn’t to raise concern, it’s to malign the mosque,” he said.

Kaleem said if the parent who shot the video was truly concerned about the incident she would have called the Wellesley School Department, or contacted the mosque directly. He linked the video’s release to the controversy surrounding the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York.

“You’ve got the whole mosque issue being hot in the news across the country, my guess is that this is when they’re finally able to get traction,” he said. “This group here is locally trying to foment the same type of sentiment, which is really bad.”

A request for comment from Americans for Peace and Tolerance has gone unanswered at this time.


Now, I don't know about any of you, but I find it highly suspicious to even consider these boys would be 'asked' to pray outside their faith and especially in Muslim prayer service because NO ONE outside is ever permitted to do that. Can you not see the 'propaganda here?! And why has there been NO answer from anyone with Americans for Peace and Tolerance?! This is exactly the type of situation these people thrive on in order to further their own agenda and yet, they have NOTHING whatsoever to say? Come on, it isn't rocket science to see how absolutely skewed this story and how it was reported is.

Before anyone decides to say it or decides I am, I do not support terrorism and/or terrorists. I simply detest the way things get portrayed in this country - there are always 2 sides to every single thing out there and right now any fanatical/right wing group with an agenda is having a field day.

[jcribb16]

I am sorry, but I stand by the fact that this stuff is going on and being glossed over like above in your post.  I am not going to stand by and be fooled by these things either being covered up or lied about when questioned.. Take our current presidential administration for example.  You can believe it - it's your choice;  I'm not going to believe their coverups......  Here's another opportunity to actually listen to this when it comes on the news later:
 
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=676705424850    (Programming Note: Today at 3p and 9p ET, Fox News exposes the special interest groups using kids' textbooks to push anti-U.S. propaganda and takes you inside a school teaching radical Islam in America. Watch Fox News Reporting: Do You Know What Textbooks Your Children Are Really Reading?

[jordandog]

jcribb,
I am NOT saying 'stuff like this' isn't happening. I did not gloss over what occured in my post above yours. I gave the facts, quotes, and statements from Wellesley - those were NOT my interpretations of them nor my opinion on what actually happened. How can you even accuse me of glossing over it? I gave what was reported as the actual occurence by those who were involved - not the voiceover from the mother who was videotaping it. If she was so damn outraged, why did she continue to tape and NOT speak up? So she could get her 15 minutes of fame on YouTube? Also, I am the furthest from being a supporter of the current administration and Obama as I could be and still vote.

And if you are going to site Fox News as reliable, you might want to know this also.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, News Corp's (the parent corporation of Fox News) largest shareholder outside of the Murdoch family, has donated over $300,000 to organizations run by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the principal planner of Park51 and the proposed Mosque. One of those organizations was the Park51 project itself.
Not only is Alwaleed, the News Corp shareholder, a financial backer of Imam Rauf, but Rupert Murdoch's book division, HarperCollins, is the publisher of Rauf's book, What's Right with Islam Is What's Right With America.

I don't abide cover-ups anymore than you or anyone else, but I also don't abide by everything I hear or see just because it is out there and is 'breaking news'. I do my homewok from multiple sources, but will say that Fox News is not one of them I consider aboveboard, period. They use scare tactics and propaganda, as do most, but you really need to look at their hidden agenda.

[jcribb16]

jordandog,
I didn't mean that you had glossed over anything in your post.  I was speaking of the people in the report.  They don't want to get in trouble over what happened and I understand that.  So they cover themselves.  The people behind the group inviting people out on these field trips are being deceptive to the public, and that I don't like and think people need to made aware of these things.
Believe me, I appreciate your posts.  I would not say anything to cut you down and I apologize if it appeared that way.  It was all toward the people outside that are doing these things.

Fox News has no more hidden agenda than does CNN or MSNBC, etc.  They all do.  I just feel that Fox News is a little more balanced with their news than some others that are more tolerant of our current admins' shenanigans and of the more liberal view of things, in general.

[Alyia72]

I am sorry, but I stand by the fact that this stuff is going on and being glossed over like above in your post.  I am not going to stand by and be fooled by these things either being covered up or lied about when questioned.. Take our current presidential administration for example.  You can believe it - it's your choice;  I'm not going to believe their coverups......  Here's another opportunity to actually listen to this when it comes on the news later:
 
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=676705424850    (Programming Note: Today at 3p and 9p ET, Fox News exposes the special interest groups using kids' textbooks to push anti-U.S. propaganda and takes you inside a school teaching radical Islam in America. Watch Fox News Reporting: Do You Know What Textbooks Your Children Are Really Reading?

I agree, as a parent its my right and responsibility to make sure these type things don't happen.  I would have never signed the permission slip in the first place had my child been in public school.  These children weren't taken to a synagogue, Christian church or even a catholic church only the mosque why is that?   All I am saying is we as parents have the right to be concerned about what our children are being taught or allowed to participate in.  There were teachers there present on that trip, you could clearly see American children up there praying or copying praying however you want to word it that doesn't change the fact that these teachers present that were responsible for those children allowed them to participate in prayer during school hours on a school funded trip.  If these types of trips are going to be happening then our children should be allowed to pray to whatever god they believe in.  How is it right that our children cant pray to god during school but they can pray to Allah? And as for this apology this trip happened in May? and it took till now to get an apology?  As a parent Ill decide when my child is ready to learn about any religion one of the reasons she is home schooled.  And as I said earlier when shes old enough to decide for herself what she believes in I will support her 100% even if she chose a faith that was different than what I believed in myself.  

[jordandog]

Believe me, I appreciate your posts.  I would not say anything to cut you down and I apologize if it appeared that way.  It was all toward the people outside that are doing these things.

jcribb,
Thanks for saying what you did. I did take part of it as me glossing over it, sorry for misinterpreting what you said. It's all good and I appreciate what you write too. If it wasn't worth reading, it wouldn't be worth replying too, right? 

[Falconer02]

This is an example of what's going on right here in America, deceitfully and steadily, until they totally try to take over.  It's already the 2nd most popular religion in France, and they are now trying to make laws to stop any more encroachment of this type of society "take-over."

I see this all of the time. This is right-wing fearmongering.

How is it right that our children cant pray to god during school but they can pray to Allah?

I'm not sure if this worded correctly, but children can pray anytime during school to any god as long as it's not disrupting. It's forced prayer that is illegal. And Allah is a deity too. Not just your god.

[SurveyMack10]

Thanks to all who responded to my comment.  It is a shame that the liberal news media prefers to keep events like these under the radar.  Let us all pray that we, as a nation, will not allow these radical elements to take over the fabric of our lives and that we become watchmen, alert and ever-ready to defend our democracy. 

Amen!

[jcribb16]

Believe me, I appreciate your posts.  I would not say anything to cut you down and I apologize if it appeared that way.  It was all toward the people outside that are doing these things.

jcribb,
Thanks for saying what you did. I did take part of it as me glossing over it, sorry for misinterpreting what you said. It's all good and I appreciate what you write too. If it wasn't worth reading, it wouldn't be worth replying too, right? 

Absolutely!!!!!! 

[jcribb16]

This is an example of what's going on right here in America, deceitfully and steadily, until they totally try to take over.  It's already the 2nd most popular religion in France, and they are now trying to make laws to stop any more encroachment of this type of society "take-over."

I see this all of the time. This is right-wing fearmongering.

How is it right that our children cant pray to god during school but they can pray to Allah?

I'm not sure if this worded correctly, but children can pray anytime during school to any god as long as it's not disrupting. It's forced prayer that is illegal. And Allah is a deity too. Not just your god.

No, it is not right-wing fearmongering - it is fact.

[jcribb16]

Thanks to all who responded to my comment.  It is a shame that the liberal news media prefers to keep events like these under the radar.  Let us all pray that we, as a nation, will not allow these radical elements to take over the fabric of our lives and that we become watchmen, alert and ever-ready to defend our democracy. 

Amen!

You got it!

[Falconer02]

No, it is not right-wing fearmongering - it is fact.

Considering you are attacking one religion without seeing the history and present acts of hypocrisy within your own here, I would without a doubt call this fearmongering.

[jcribb16]

No, it is not right-wing fearmongering - it is fact.

Considering you are attacking one religion without seeing the history and present acts of hypocrisy within your own here, I would without a doubt call this fearmongering.

First of all, I am not attacking one religion...  I am sharing info about a particular religion that is in the news across the world because of things they are promoting and doing that are causing much concern.  What is wrong with that?  I thought we could post different topics of interest to different members.  If you don't like this topic, fine.  I still can post things of concern or interest to me, just as you do.  :-

[Falconer02]

I am not attacking one religion...  I am sharing info about a particular religion that is in the news across the world because of things they are promoting and doing that are causing much concern.  What is wrong with that?

True true. But considering everyone is sharing antagonistic info on one religion without looking at the atrocities that happened/are going on within their own (many of which get no attention whatsoever), I find this very hypocritical.

I thought we could post different topics of interest to different members.  If you don't like this topic, fine.  I still can post things of concern or interest to me, just as you do.

There's no prob with that (unless you're Marie)! I'm just commenting on something I see in your thread.

[jcribb16]

I am not attacking one religion...  I am sharing info about a particular religion that is in the news across the world because of things they are promoting and doing that are causing much concern.  What is wrong with that?

True true. But considering everyone is sharing antagonistic info on one religion without looking at the atrocities that happened/are going on within their own (many of which get no attention whatsoever), I find this very hypocritical.

I thought we could post different topics of interest to different members.  If you don't like this topic, fine.  I still can post things of concern or interest to me, just as you do.

There's no prob with that (unless you're Marie)! I'm just commenting on something I see in your thread.

Well, I only just start posting this interest of mine in the past couple of days.  I don't usually begin topics that could get controversial.  This particular topic has been bothering me (as well as others I know) for quite awhile.  I just felt strongly enough about it to post it on here.  And, believe me when I say this:  I've been doing a lot of research on this for both sides, and I just don't feel good about what appears to be happening beneath our noses, slowly and steadily.